Silo unloader impeller member



Nov. 1, 1960 Filed Oct. 18. 1957 F. E. BUSCHBOM SILO UNLOADER IMPELLER MEMBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 /NVENTOR FLOYD f. Base/1130M ATTORNEY:

Nov. 1, 1960 Filed Oct. 18. 1957 F. E. BUSCHBOM $11.0 UNLOADER IMPELLER MEMBER 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. F1. 0 YD E. BUJCHBOM SILO UNLOADER IMPELLER MEMBER Floyd E. Buschbom, Albert Lea, Minn., assignor to Vandale Corporation, Long Lake, Wayzata, Minn., a corporation of Minnesota Filed Oct. 18, 1957, Ser. No. 690,934

13 Claims. (Cl. 198-128) In Patent No. 2,794,560 there is shown a silo unloader having a rotor or rotary impeller to which is secured a plurality of impeller members for impelling the ensilage. This invention is directed to new and useful improvements in the impelling members (tines or paddles) of such structure Broadly speaking, this invention comprises an extending impeller member, adapted to be secured to a rotor or rotary impeller and providing a scooped or dished surface of unique configuration and spaced from the rotor.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a new and useful impeller member for a silo unloader or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful impeller paddle for silo unloader or the like.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful rotary impeller for silo unloader or the like having a plurality of unique extending impeller members.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a new and unique impeller member having increased or more effective impelling action.

A further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful rotor paddle of rugged and inexpensive construction.

Still a further object of this invention is to provide a new and useful impeller paddle providing positive impelling of ensilage or the like.

Other and further objects of this invention reside in the specific constructional details thereof, including the specific and unique impelling surface configuration, the specific and unique structure for supporting the impelling surface from the rotor and structural relation thereof.

Other and further objects of this invention are those apparent and inherent in the apparatus as described, pictured and claimed.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, this invention then comprises the features hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the following description setting forth in detail certain illustrative embodiments of the invention, these being indicative, however, of but a few of the various ways in which the principles of the invention may be employed,

This invention will be described with reference to the drawings, forming a part of this application, in which corresponding numerals refer to the same parts and in which:

Figure 1 is a rear elevational view of an embodiment of the impeller member of the present invention;

Figure 2 is a side view thereof;

Figure 3 is a left end view with reference to Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 4 is a right end view with reference to Figures 1 and 2;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view of a housing showing the rotary impeller or rotor, as illus- 2,958,412 Patented Novo 1, 1960 trated and described in Patent No. 2,794,560 and illustrating the impeller member mounted thereon; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary sectional view of the rotor and impeller member, along the line and in the direction of the arrows 66 of Figure 5 but on a reduced scale.

The impeller member or paddle of this invention has been found to have marked superiority over existing impeller members. While the reason for this is not precisely determined, it is speculated that this is accomplished by the configured surface of the impeller member collecting the ensilage in a mass and impelling it in the form of a small projectile, compacted by the impelling because of the configuration. It is believed that the two diverging surfaces, which provide a central bottom rearwardly disposed with reference to the direction of rotation of such impeller having a substantially flat or planar distal end materially contribute to this. It has been found in actual use that with this impeller member ensilage in almost any condition, from solidly frozen material to wet grass ensilage under several inches of Water and ensilage juice may be conveyed without difficulty. In one instance it has been possible to convey wet grass ensilage under several inches of water and juice, the liquid being conveyed along therewith and with no clogging or jamming as is oftentimes provided by such type ensilage.

Reference is now made to Figures 1-4. There, the impeller member generally designated 10 is shown to be a paddle having a base comprising two parallel supporting portions 11 and 12 spaced with reference to each other and each provided with an aperture 13. The portions 11 and 12 form part of a support ng means for the head or paddle blade 14 comprising two off-set members 15 and 16. Each of members 15 and 16, as shown in Figure 1, has a generally S-shaped configuration but are hemimorphic so the paddle blade is symmetrical about center line 20. Thus, portion 11 is joined by an upwardly curving portion 21 (with reference to the centerline 20) which is in turn joined to an off-set portion 22, parallel to but oif-set upwardly (Figure 1) with reference to portion 11. Likewise, portion 12 is joined by an outwardly curving portion 23 (with reference to centerline 20) which is in turn joined to a portion 24 downwardly (Figure l) off-set but parallel to portion 12. Thus, portions 22 and 24 comprise spaced parallel portions, portions 21 and 23 are curvingly converging portions and portions 11 and 12 are spaced parallel portions but of restricted spacing with reference to the spacing of members 15 and 24.

Supported by members 15 and 16 is the head or paddle blade 14 comprising a pair of diverging portions 25A and 25B which diverge from their trailing edge 26 to their leading edges 31) in the direction of rotation 31 of the impeller 11). The blade 14 is provided with a distal or outward end 32 slightly scalloped but substantially planar (Figure l) to provide two joined, diverging outwardly, slightly convex portions.

Blade 14 terminates at its proximal end in a straight edge 33 at the impelling face or leading face 44 to provide a surface which gradually declines to its juncture with the converging or trailing edge 26 at 35.

Each of the portions 11 and 12 as shown for portion 12 in Figure 2 is of reduced height extension with reference to the increased height extension of members.

15 and 16 shown for member 16 in Figure 2. Thus, along their trailing edges, members or portions 12 and 16 (and 11 and 15) provide a common linear edge 36 but member 11 provides a leading edge 40 rearwardly off-set in the direction of rotation 31 withreference to edge 41 of member 16, the two being joined by a diagonal edge 42. Portion 15 is provided with an idem tical diagonal edge 43 as shown in Figure 3.

The impeller is thus symmetrical about the centerline 20 and the leading face 44 is formed by the two outwardly diverging portions 25A and 25B each terminating in relatively sharp edges 46 and 47 at the sides or where they join portions 22 and 24. Blade 14 is supported from the rear by portions 21 and 22; 23 and 24. Thus, the impeller head impelling surface is supported from the rear by supporting means comprising two opposed members having spaced parallel surfaces at their juncture to the back face of the diverging members forming the impeller member head, said opposed members being joined to the rear of the parallel diverging edges thereof, said supporting members each having a base means joined thereto by inwardly off-set portions so that the base portions are parallel in restricted extension, the impelling surface terminating substantially at the offset portions and the supporting members having a forwardly enlarged dimension in the direction of rotation of the impeller member throughout their juncture to the impeller surface.

As mentioned the forwardly extending edges 46 and 50 are knife edges as shown and the distal edges of the impeller surface lie approximately in a plane perpendicular to the planes of divergence of said impeller face or faces but provide slightly outwardly scalloped configuration.

In Figure 6 the rotary impeller 50 is secured to the drive shaft 51 by a pair of flange retainers or collars 52 pinned to the shaft. Retainers 52 are secured to the impeller 50, in this instance a disc, by a plurality of bolts secured thereto. The paddle 10 is positioned Within the spaced apertured portions 11 and 12 through which a pin 54 is positioned. Pin 54 is passed through the apertures in portions 11 and 12 and the corresponding aperture in impeller 59 and is secured in position by split keeper rings 55 positioned in annular depressions in pin 54 or by other suitable means.

As is shown in Figure a plurality of these impeller members are positioned around the periphery of the impeller usually in opposed relationship.

The impeller members 10 are utilized as shown for the members 123 in Figure 6 of Patent No. 2,794,560. Preferably, they are pivoted to the impeller 50 by the pins 54, although they may be positioned in stationary extended position. The rotor or impeller 50 is secured within a scroll 60 having an open bottom at 61. It comprises a first wrap 62 terminating at edge 63 and a second wrap 64 terminating at edge 65, wraps 62 and 64 cooperating to provide peripheral side or end walls of the scroll. Secured to wraps 62 and 64 are scroll plates 66 and 70 which cooperate to provide the face walls of the scroll. The scroll is provided with a tangential exit at 71 throughout which ensilage is impelled in the direction of arrow 72, ensilage entering in the direction of arrow 73. A helical flight auger 74 is positioned upon the surface of the ensilage within the silo E, conveys ensilage in the direction of the arrow 73 for communication with the impeller members 10 all as described in the aforesaid Patent No. 2,794,560.

It'is apparent that many modifications and variations of this invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope thereof. The specific embodiments described are given by way of example only and the invention is limited only by the terms of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A unitary impeller paddle comprising means forming a diverging impelling surface, said impelling surface providing a leading face, and a trailing face therefor, means for supporting said paddle from a rotor by said trailing face comprising a pair of oppositely disposed and ofi-set members joined to said trailing face along exterior edges thereof and ofl-set inwardly to provide extending spaced but parallel portions adapted to be secured to a rotor.

2. The structure of claim 1 in which said paddle is provided with a distal end surface substantially at right angles to the edges formed by said diverging surface.

3. The structure of claim 1 in which the leading edges of said diverging surfaces are off-set in a leading direction from the leading edges of said supporting members.

4. A rotor, an impeller paddle pivotally secured thereto by spaced portions one on either side of said rotor and supporting an impelling surface comprising portions diverging uniformly throughout their extension in the normal direction of movement of said rotor and from a centerline extending at substantially right angles to the axis of pivoting of said paddle.

5. A silo unloader impeller comprising a rotary disc having a plurality of apertured bosses providing parallel planar faces and a plurality of the impeller members of claim 1 secured thereto.

6. A silo unloader impeller comprising two supporting members spaced with reference to each other and each supporting member being of generally S-shaped configuration but hemimorphic so that the impeller is symmetrical, said spaced S-shaped members having parallel portions of restricted spacing at one end and each providing an aperture for the reception of a shaft or pin, and parallel portions of extended spacing at the other end, a blade supported thereby and comprising a pair of diverging portions, diverging from a common trailing edge to spaced leading edges (and provided with a distal end slightly scalloped to provide two joined, diverging outwardly, slightly convex portions, said blade terminating at its proximal end in a straight edge at the impelling face or leading face and having a surface which gradually declines to its trailing face), each of the parallel portions of restricted spacing being of reduced height extension with reference to the increased height extension of said portions of extended spacing so that said portions of extended spacing along their trailing edges provide a common linear edge with said portion of restricted spacing but on their leading edges are forwardly offset in the direction of rotation.

7. An impeller, symmetrical about a center line, having a leading face formed by two outwardly diverging portions each terminating in relatively sharp edges at the sides where they join supporting members, said face being supported from the rear surface by said supporting members comprising two opposed members having spaced parallel surfaces at their juncture to the rear surface of the said diverging portions, said supporting members each having a base portion joined thereto by inwardly offset portions so that the base portions are parallel and of restricted spacing, said leading face terminating substantially at the offset portions and the supporting members having a forwardly enlarged dimension in the direction of rotation of the impeller member throughout their junctures to said rear surface.

8. A silo unloader impeller paddle having means at one end for securing it to a rotor, said paddle having an impelling surface comprising portions diverging substantially linearly from a center line extending in a direction from said end having said means for securing it to a rotor to the opposite end thereof.

9. The structure of claim 8 in which said means for securing the paddle to a rotor comprises a pair of parallel portions spaced apart a distance less than the edges of said diverging portions.

10. A silo unloader impeller comprising two supporting members spaced with reference to each other and each supporting member being of generally S-shaped configuration but hemimorphic to provide parallel portions of restricted spacing at one end, each having an aperture for the reception of a shaft or a pin, and to provide parallel portions of extended spacing at the other end, a blade supported thereby and comprising a pair of diverging portions, diverging from a common trailing edge to spaced leading edges, and secured to said parallel portions of extended spacing at said spaced leading edges, each of the parallel portions of restricted spacing being of reduced height extension with reference to an increased height extension of said portions of extended spacing so that said portions of extended spacing along their trailing edges provide common linear edges with said portions of restricted spacing but on their leading edges are forwardly ofiset in the direction of rotation.

11. In a silo unloader adapted to be positioned on the surface of ensilage in a silo having means for feeding ensilage from the surface thereof, the improvement comprising a rotary impeller means journalled for rotation about a horizontal axis for receiving and elevating said ensilage comprising a plurality of spaced paddle members secured thereto, said paddle members each having an impelling surface diverging in the leading direction of rotation of said rotary means from a center line at substantially right angles to the axis of rotation of said rotary means, the extension of said diverging portions being substantially uniform throughout the extension of the impelling surface, and the impelling surface terminating at its distal end at substantially right angles to said center line and said edge surfaces.

12. An impeller paddle for a silo unloader comprising substantially V-cross section configuration, means at one end for supporting said paddle from a rotor, said paddle providing a trough of substantially uniform depth of said V-cross section configuration and said trough ex tending in prolongation of said means for securing said impeller paddle to said rotor, the open edges of said trough extending substantially linearly and the end of said trough opposite said means for securing said paddle to the unloader extending at substantially right angles thereto.

13. An impeller paddle for a silo unloader comprising means at one end for supporting said paddle from a rotor, said paddle providing a trough of substantially V-cross section configuration and said trough extending in substantial prolongation of said means for securing said impeller paddle to said rotor, and the end of said trough opposite said means for securing said paddle to the unloader extending at substantially right angles thereto, and diverging substantially linearly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 892,553 Roby et al. July 7, 1908 893,749 Nichols July 21, 1908 1,011,259 Smith Dec. 12, 1911 2,583,767 Daignas Jan. 29, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS 529,292 Germany July 11, 1931 

